AutoTech: Europe Our takeaways

Martin Kanaan
The event was an opportunity to network with car manufacturers’ representatives and talk to them about their current needs and goals. We also had the chance to attend some interesting talks and panel discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing the automotive industry. The focus of the sessions was autotech transformation and they revolved around manufacturers’ ambitions to transform the car industry into a software-enabled ecosystem for a better-connected user experience. The tech suppliers were at the event to talk about their various solutions in the fields of car connectivity and digital transformation, which are contributing to the paradigm shift in the industry towards a more sustainable and consumer-centric operating model.

Łukasz Puzder
An event like AutoTech draws a tight group of expert professionals and conversations with them focus on real needs and concrete projects. The form the event took surprised us a bit. The main emphasis was on the talks and panel discussions and it was those sessions that attracted the most people, with the exhibitors’ stands, including ours, only being visited in the breaks. Nonetheless, thanks to that, we had the chance of attending the sessions, too, which gave us plenty of interesting information about the situation in the sector.

Martin
We had two goals. The first was to gather leads by making direct contact with our target audience, the automakers, and impressing them with our digital solutions and connected services. Our second goal was to listen and pick up on the challenges and opportunities the market is currently facing while benchmarking ourselves against the competition.

Łukasz
I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to anyone that a great many of the panels focused on topics related to autonomous vehicles and that there was an emphasis on the data that vehicles collect from their surroundings.
Monitoring driver behaviour, optimising engine performance, analysing the surroundings, telematics, controlling the direction of the journey and fully autonomous journeys aren’t the future any more. They’re the present. Scientists and manufacturers all over the world are working non-stop on new automotive solutions, because what we’re seeing at the moment… the first autonomous vehicles on our roads… is just the beginning. The priority is still to create a driving environment that’s as safe and comfortable as possible.
Companies operating in the automotive sector need to stay on trend all the time. We’re well aware of that at MakoLab and we’re delighted to be working on these kinds of projects.
As far as the interesting talks are concerned, here are a few of the topics: (counting them off on his fingers) From Ownership to Usership: What will connectivity and rapid technology mean to the automotive world?

• Fortune Favours the Brave: Creating an Innovative In-Car Strategy
• The Future of Autonomous OnDemand Mobility
• Connected Vehicle Commerce: What is the Definition of Success?
• Using Data to Create Better Mobility.

Martin
I found it striking to see how the legendary super sports car brands are also aligning with the tech trends in the sector. It’s no longer just about road performance, engine sounds and a record zero-to-a-hundred kilometres per hour. It’s also about the tech experience they can provide for their clients. This means that even petrolheads… or revheads or gearheads if you like… are now paying more attention to their in-car experience, which is mostly about the tech features available in their vehicles.

Łukasz
I won’t point to any particular solution or project because a lot of the topics addressed during the event have been doing the rounds on the fora for several years now. I have to confess that I’d been counting on more in the way of innovation. But it was good to be there in the company of people discussing the situation and trends in the automotive industry. When you work with that sector, you need to be at the cutting edge and our time at AutoTech confirmed that we, at MakoLab, most certainly are!

During the event, you showcased our implementations and solutions for the automotive sector at a dedicated stand. Which solutions were you presenting? As you see it, does MakoLab have something to show off at a trade fair like AutoTech: Europe?

Łukasz
I’m glad we had the chance to talk to the representatives of OEMs who are responsible for data collection and processing solutions and for questions relating to mobility and connected vehicles. Something that cropped up in conversations and was very heartening to hear is that our projects are interesting and that we really do offer comprehensive services. It’s worth emphasising how rare that still is on the market, but it’s something that certainly matters to clients.

Martin
There are various challenges that are creating a gap between automotive OEMs and consumers. We were able to see how car makers are striving to bridge that gap by leveraging technology in order to modify their operational models and reshape the way consumers interact with their brand. We also noticed that software is becoming the differentiating factor for players in the sector and it was obvious to us that OEMs are making a transition towards a software-enabled ecosystem.
MakoLab is special because we’re a one-stop shop offering automotive brands end-to-end solutions in the digital transformation and connected vehicle spheres. Our range of solutions and services is unique in the way it caters to OEMs and to their distribution networks, captive companies and independent resellers. On one hand, we develop digital platforms and deliver services focused on increased efficiency, internal processes and optimising IT systems. On the other hand, we provide services for operating complex connected car functions across all the software layers and we deliver solution value quickly, enabling our clients to respond to market changes and reduce their development cycles.

Martin
For at least two decades now, MakoLab has been bridging the worlds of IT and the automotive sector through its connected software skills and by developing digital solutions that enhance the automotive customer experience, help to streamline processes and drive sales. We had some interesting discussions with OEMs and retailers, as well as solution providers, and we clearly demonstrated how we have the entire customer journey covered from reaching customers to aftersales support. We were delighted to see that the solutions and services we’re currently providing are exactly what’s being sought. It gave us a sense of validation and satisfaction because it was confirmation that what we offer is what our target audience is looking for… with our buy-back management tool and connected car function DevOps being just two cases in point!